Vacuum cleaner



Aug. 24, 1937. vL F CASON 2,091,137

VACUUM CLEANER Filed Sept. 18, 1936 WNAM.

Inventor' Jesse F. Gafsaw11 bg 55K/M47 7 M. His Attorney Patented Aug. 24, 1937 PATENT OFFICE VACUUM CLEANER Jesse F. Carson, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Electric Vacuum Cleaner Co. Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of New York Application September 18, 1936, Serial No. 101,445

12 Claims.

The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners oi' the type in which the suction producing means and the filter are contained within an enclosing casing The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement in cleaners of this type, and, for a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying description and the claims appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section and partly broken away of a vacuum cleaner embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly broken away,

of the bag; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the inlet end of the cleaner casing, and Fig. 4 is a sectional View showing the conguration the bag assumes around the inlet to the fan during the use of the cleaner.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown my invention applied to a vacuum cleaner having a cylindrical casing I provided with supporting wheels 2 for supporting the cleaner on the iioor.' Within the left end of the casing is a fan housing which comprises a cup-shaped member 3 at the right end of which is iixed a cup-shaped member 4, Within the fan housing are fans 5 and 6 which are fixed to the shaft 1 of an electric motor 8. The fan 5 discharges peripherally into the cup-shaped member 4, and the air iiows to the inlet of fan 6 through a deflector 9 attached to the cup-shaped member 3. The fan 6 discharges peripherally to the cup-shaped member 3, and the air flows axially between the cup-shaped member 3 and an annular shroud ring I0, and is discharged through an opening Il in a cap I2 secured to the end of the casing. The shroud ring Ill extends a substantial distance along the periphery of the electric motor 8 and provides a relatively unobstructed passage for the air. This decreases the friction loss, and results in improved eiiicicncy. The electric motor is secured to an inwardly extending flange I3 on the shroud ring I0 by screws threaded into studs I4 which secure the end frame I5 of the motor in place.

The end frame I5 is provided with a. bearing housing I6 for the motor shaft 1.

The shroud ring ||l is resiliently supported on the cup-shaped member 3 by means of resilient supports each of which comprises a rubber bushing I1 clamped between a nut I8 and a sleeve I9 by a bolt 2| extending from the outside of the member 3 through the sleeve I9. The rubber bushing is provided with a reducedportion 20 which extends through an opening in the shroud ring and prevents any metal to metal contact. Three or four resilient supports of this nature may be used suitably spaced around the periphery of the motor.' The cup-shaped member 3 is secured to the outer casing by means of screws 22 which are threaded into the screws 2|.

With this arrangement the electric motor and fan are resiliently supported by the resilient supports for shroud ring I0 and the shroud ring provided provides an annular Ypassage for the discharge of air from the fan '6. Since the motor and the rubber bushings I1 are arranged Within the shroud ring the rapidly whirling air currents discharged from the fan 6 do not strike the rubber bushings at all and do not strike the motor except at the streamlined rear portion, thus decreasing the friction losses. The motor is cooled by the air currents which strike its rear portion.

Due to the nature of this construction the motor, fan, and fan housing can all be assembled outside the cleaner casi-ng and inserted as a unit.

The construction described above is not my invention, but is the invention of Henry T. Lang and is being claimed in his application S. N. 101,461, iiled Sept. 18, 1936.

At the right end of the casing I is hinged a cap 23 which is provided 'with a suitable coupling (not shown) to which a suction hose 24 may be attached. The cap is secured to the casing by trunk latch 23a. The other end of the hose 24 may bei attached to a suitably shaped suction nozzle. Between the cap 23 and the fan housing is arranged a cylindrical bag 25, the open end of which is secured to a supporting ring 26 by means of a clamping band 21. The supporting ring 26 is provided with a ilange 28 which abuts the end of the casing I and is faced with suitable gasket material which provides an air-tight joint between the end of the casing and the cap 23. From the supporting ring 26 extend supporting arms 29 which are secured at theirinner ends to a ring 30 which holds the outer walls of the bag in spaced relation to the inner walls oi' the casing I. The bag has a re-entrant portion 3| which lits around a tubular projection 32 projecting from the inlet 33 of the fan housing. The projecting portion 32 is provided with closely spaced perforations 34 through which the air flows.

In the use of the cleaner the dust laden air ilows throughi the hose 24 into the bag 25. The air iiowing through the re-entrant portion 3| of the bag causes this portion of the bag to be drawn around the member 32, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The irregular configuration of the bag is caused by the fact that the :re-entrant portion 3| is of greater diameter than the projecting portion 32. Due to the close spacing of the perforations 34 the bag is not drawn tightly against each perforation, so that a number of the perforations, 5 such as those indicated at 3'| in Fig. 4, receive air from an area of the bag which is greater than the area of the perforations. This means that the effective filtering area of the re-entrant portion 3| is in excess of the combined area of the perforations 34 but is of course somewhat less than the total area of the re-entrant portion. Some of the air flows through outer walls of the bag, along the space between the walls of the bag and the cleaner casing, and to the inlet of the l5 fan housing through perforations 35 which are not covered by the re-entrant portion 3|. 'Ihis arrangement provides an extended surface through which the air is ltered so that the bag will hold a large amount of dirt for a given pressure drop.

When the bag is to be emptied the cap 23 is swung to the open position shown in Fig. 3 and the bag is removed. The bag may then be 1nverted over a suitable receptacle and the re- 25 entrant portion 3| of the bag extended to the position shown in Fig. 2. A handle 38 is provided for the convenience of the operator. When in this position the operator may stand on the fiange 28 of the bag, take hold of the handle 30 38, and shake the bag to loosen the dirt. The dirt which is loosened by shaking will remain within the bag. When the bag is to be reinserted the portion 3| is pushed slightly below the ring 30 and the bag is then grasped by the supporting ring 26 and inserted into the cleaner. During this insertion the projecting member 32 pulls the re-entrant portion 3| into its proper position.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing having an inlet for dust laden air, a fan housing, an inlet to the fan housing comprising a foraminous hollow member projecting therefrom and arranged in the path of the air from the inlet to the casing, and a filter covering said projecting member and supported thereby, said filter being of substantially greater diameter than said projecting member and being flexible whereby it will be drawn against said member by the air currents fiowing through the filter.

2. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing having an inlet for dust laden air, a fan housing, an inlet to the fan housing includgig a foraminous hollow member projecting therefrom and arranged in the path of the air from the inlet to the casing, and a bag between the fan housing and the inlet to the casing having outer walls spaced from the casing and having a re-entrant portion surrounding said projecting member and supported thereby.

3. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing having an inlet for dust laden air, a fan housing, an inlet to the fan housing including a foraminous hollow member projecting therefrom and arranged in the path of the air from the inlet to the casing, and a bag between the fan housing and the inlet to the casing having outer walls spaced from the casing and having a re-entrant portion surrounding said projecting member and supported thereby, said re-entrant portion being of substantially greater diameter than said projecting member and being fiexible whereby it will be drawn against said member by the air currents owing therethrough.

4. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing having an inlet for dust laden air, a fan housing having an inlet including a foraminous hollow member projecting therefrom and arranged in the path of the air from the inlet to the casing, a bag between the inlet to the casing and the inlet to the fan housing having outer walls spaced from the casing and having a re-entrant portion surrounding said projecting member, said re-entrant portion being of substantially greater diameter than said projecting member and being exible whereby it will be drawn against said member by the air currents owing therethrough, and a frame secured to the end of the bag and extending between the re-entrant and outer walls of the bag for supporting the bag.

5. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing having an inlet for dust laden air, a fan housing having an inlet including a foraminous hollow member projecting therefrom and arranged in the path of the air from the inlet to the casing, a bag between the inlet to the casing and the inlet to the fan housing having outer walls spaced from the casing and having a re-entrant portion surrounding said projecting member, said re-entrant portion being of substantially the same diameter as the outer walls of the bag and being exible whereby it will be drawn against said projecting member by the air currents flowing therethrough, and a frame secured to the end of the bag and extending between the re-entrant and outer walls of the bag for supporting the bag.

6. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing having an inlet for dust laden air, a fan housing having an inlet including a foraminous hollow member projecting therefrom and arranged in the path of the air from the inlet to the casing, and a bag between the inlet to the casing and the inlet to the fan housing having outer walls spaced from the casing and having a re-entrant portion surrounding said projecting member, said re-entrant portion being arranged and constructed to leave part of said projecting member adjacentsaid fan housing uncovered to provide a passage to the fan for the air owing through the outer Walls of the bag.

'7. In combination, a casing havin.;r an inlet for dust laden air, a hollow member arranged in the path of the air from the inlet having openings in its side walls and an opening for discharging air from the interior thereof, and a filter covering said member, said filter being of substantially greater diameter than said member and being flexible whereby it will be drawn against the side walls of said member by the air currents flowing through the filter.

8. In combination, a casing having an inlet for dust laden air, a hollow member arranged in the path of the air from the inlet having openings in its side walls and an opening for discharging air from the interior thereof, and a bag between said hollow member and the inlet having outer walls spaced from the casing and having a reentrant portion surrounding said hollow member and supported thereby.

9. In combination, a casing having an inlet for dust lad'en air, a hollow member arranged in the path of the air from the inlet having openings in its side walls and an opening for discharging air from the interior thereof, and a bag bctWeen said hollow member and the inlet having outer walls spaced from the casing and having a reentrant portion surrounding said hollow member and supported thereby, said reentrant portion being of substantially greater diameter than said hollow member and being flexible whereby it will be drawn against the side walls of said member by air currents flowing therethrough.

10. In combination, a casing having an inlet for dust laden air, a hollow member arranged in the path of the air from the inlet having openings in its side walls and an opening-for discharging air from the interior thereof, a bag between said hollow member and the inlet having outer walls spaced from the casing and having a reentrant portion surrounding said hollow member and supported thereby, said reentrant portion being of substantially greater diameter than said hollow member and being exible whereby it will be drawn against the side Walls of said member by air currents flowing therethrough, and a frame secured to the end of the bag and extending between the reentrant and outer walls of the bag for supporting the bag.

11. In combination, a casing having an inlet for dust laden air, a hollowmember arranged in the path of the air from the inlet having openings in its side walls and an opening for discharging air from the interior thereof, a bag between the inlet and said hollow member having outer walls spaced from the casing and having a reentrant portion surrounding said hollow member, said reentrant portion being of substantially the same diameter as the outer walls of the bag and being flexible whereby it will be drawn against the side walls of said member by the air currents flowing therethrough, and a frame secured to the end of the bag and extending between the reentrant and outer walls of the bag for supporting the bag.

12. In combination, a, casing having an inlet for dust laden air, a hollow member arranged in the path of the air from the inlet having openings in its side walls and an opening for discharging air from the interior thereof, and a bag between the inlet to the casing and said hollow member having outer walls spaced from the casing and having a reentrant portion surrounding said member, said reentrant portion being arranged and constructed to leave part of the openings in the side walls of said member uncovered to provide a, passage for the air owing through the outer walls of the bag.

JESSE F. CARSON. 

